uPVC flush casement windows in Ewell and Epsom: the lower-cost choice for 1930s semis

Not every house needs aluminium. On a 1930s semi in West Ewell, Ewell Court or Stoneleigh, white uPVC flush casements give the same flat, timber-like look for about a fifth less across the whole house.

What flush means

Older uPVC windows have the opening sash standing proud of the frame. A flush casement sits level with it, the way the original timber casements on these houses did. On a bay with three or four opening lights side by side, the difference is easy to see from the pavement.

Where uPVC makes sense in Epsom

• On semis in the large 1930s estates of West Ewell, Ewell Court, Ruxley and Stoneleigh, which sit outside the conservation areas.
• On the post-war houses of Langley Vale and Epsom Wells, where the original windows were often plain casements.
• Where the budget has to stretch to a front door and a back door as well as the windows.

Where it does not

Where an Article 4 direction applies, as in Ewell Village and Ewell Downs Road, the council's appraisals treat uPVC on the front of a house as a loss of character, so it is unlikely to get permission on the front of the house. See the permission guide.

Compared with aluminium

uPVC frames are a little wider. White is the cheapest finish; colours and woodgrain cost more and close some of the gap to aluminium. Both need only cleaning. Our two West Ewell examples show the same house priced both ways.